BLOG - SPRING - COMPOST

Start your spring gardening nowBy CINDY MCNATTTHE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERTo garden or not to garden, that is the question. For it is still January (barely), and it doesn't seem like the month to get ready for spring.Yet if you've gardened in California for any length of time, you already know that the daffodils are popping and the fruit trees are budding. And like Henry Mitchell said, you worry that it may be too soon to plant the dahlias, when all of a sudden you wonder if it is too late.I'm digging in and you can, too, for a few reasons. Frost is no longer an issue. Warm days mean that some plants are growing and might need your help. And there are the weeds trying to get a foothold while you're fiddling with other things............Lots to do.January is also a good month to get the vegetable garden ready, especially if it's your first time. Vegetables are easy to grow, and you will love the rewards later when you are harvesting your first cucumber or squash come June.Planting the plants is the last thing you'll do. When starting a vegetable garden, or any garden for that matter, all your attention should first be on the soil.Soil is where the plants live. If you don't give them a good home, it doesn't matter if you buy a $20 tomato plant or $2 worth of seed, you will be disappointed with the results.Plants want soil that is easy to penetrate with roots. Plants want certain nutrients to develop leaves, flowers and fruit. Plants want a consistent amount of moisture. And in some cases, plants want props in the form of trellises or cages, so they can climb to sun if that's their nature. Provide those and your 90 percent done.The drill:A plant's future is in the soil. While they want moisture, too much will drown them because they also need a fair amount of oxygen around their roots.Start your vegetable garden by digging deep. One foot is good, but two feet are better. Loosening the soil breaks it up to make root penetration easier, and it also provides places for oxygen pockets.Work in as much organic matter as you can manage. That would be bags or truck loads of amendment,compost, grass clippings and shredded leaves. Organic matter does many beneficial things – it loosens clay soils so plants can breathe better, and it binds sandy soil that doesn't hold moisture.Most importantly organic matter provides food for the bacteria and earthworms that are going to care for you plants.After you've worked in your amendments as evenly as possible (aim for a chocolate cake consistency), toss a few handfuls of all-purpose organic fertilizerover your beds. Dig this in on your second pass with a shovel.Keep in mind what you want to grow. Leafy plants such as spinach, herbs and lettuces will respond to plant foods higher in nitrogen.Fruiting plants such as tomatoes, cantaloupes, squashes and beans will want an extra dose of phosphorus, a nutrient that encourages blooms and fruit.Root crops such as potatoes, beets, carrots and turnips depend on potash because it encourages root growth.Be sure your beds are big enough to allow room for your plants to grow. Tomatoes can grow quite large, but so can squash, corn and other vegetables.For any plant that needs support later, provide it now or you'll have a mess on your hands in a few months. Fashion something sturdy for tomatoes to hang on to, something trellis-like for peas to climb, a sawhorse works to get cucumbers and cantaloupes off the ground.When your garden beds are dug, amended, fertilized and ready with supports, you're ready for the fun part — shopping for plants and seeds.